Illinois State Championship

Cat 4/5 Masters +30/+40

Planning for this race started one year ago. It was my second Cat 4 race last year after just upgrading and I was really happy with my performance taking a 4th. Never figuring I would do that well from the beginning, when it came to crunch time, I played the teammate role. And gave my position up to a teammate that was targeting the race. And if I had to play that moment again I would not change a thing. Did I wonder how it might have played out if I did not give up my position? Yes I did. I cannot lie. But I came out of that race with confidence, respect, and a newfound friendship. And as the year has pass that was so much more worth it. And I still had the Cat 4 race to do in the afternoon (more about that later in the next race report) And now with my 2008 season and training changing to the mountain biking, I put the road season aside except for the new 2009 goal that I had to file.

This is a great race to me. I love the more technical courses with the turns at high speed, downtown settings and hell it is the State Championships!! The Peoria Cycling Club not only puts on a great race here, but it is well organized and run. I know this will be a favorite of mine for years to come. And with a William as my travel partner each year and a free place to stay at my daughter house she rents for college, how can you go wrong. Well maybe not free because my wife and I pay the rent but it does not go under cycling expenses. William and I knew we where going together again from the time we left last year and I have been playing this race in my head over and over for a year. I figured I have raced Proctor now at least 367 times. Twice last year I actually did it and the other 365 times in my head. Every time I went to visit or pick up my daughter I drove the course backwards. I think I may have come up with almost (Liam?) every possible way to win this race in my head, thinking of the wind wiping through the buildings, the slight rise between turn 7 and 8, the turns. I immersed myself in this race, even pacing the final 300 meters with Newt in the morning.

This year the ride up with William included Morrissey and Liam, and then Nick meeting us up there for the stay in the house to help cut costs. The weather turned bad on the drive up and with a late start we failed to meet Seth, Kirby, Newt and Nikki for dinner which I know would have been fun from our experience of Sunday Night Dinner at. Culver’s. Which now is a regular stopping ground for our after race dinners. As much as I tried to relax and joke around, I just was not myself because the pressure I was starting to feel, of course all self in flicked. All day Saturday and Sunday morning, I was quiet. I just want the race to be over or at least to start because then I could relax. I felt I knew what to do but now just let me do it. The five of us got up early to the tornado sirens going off. Not a good sign, but for me perfect timing. We got ourselves together and met up with Nikki and the boys for Breakfast at the Marquette Inn, which was just perfect and very inexpensive. Thanks again Nikki for all you do for xXx, it is great to have you as our #1 fan. Now lets get ready to race.

Everything seemed to be going like clockwork that morning, parking, breakfast, registration, amount of time for the warm-up, but I still just did not feel right. Nerves always get the best of me before a race. I now started to think about the competitors. All the guys I took second or third to this year. Ben from Power Bar at Vernon Hills twice to Kyle and I, Mike Shea from Spider Monkeys, Karl Schult from Guiness/ Capital Cities at Sherman Park and the rest of the hungry field. I did not feel good on my warm up, just tired and sluggish. Made a couple of adjustments to the bike and then started talking to William and Morrissey about the race. William made mention that it was not a target and he knew Morrissey and I were gunning for it, so he asked if we cared if he pushed the pace and went off on fliers. That is exactly what we wanted, teammates to help push the pace, but we made it clear that it was anyone race and if he got in a break then to go for it. William did a great job out at the front and we could not have asked for a better person up there. At one time we were heading 33mph into the wind. He did a great job up front. But soon it was clear that no one was going to work other than us. I told William not to bury himself and made sure Ben from Power Bar knew that if he was going to win today that he had to work for it and not just draft. So as much as I did not want to be in the front, Morrissey and I wanted to keep the pace hot so we took fliers too.

So around and around we go and with three to go a prime lap is called and now the race begins. I have no interest in the bicycle computer only the win two laps later, and I am looking for the prime to string it out and maybe a break to come out of it. With two to go the Power Bar guy has a sizable lead with one other and no one is going after them. I move to the front screaming we need to catch them and see William working hard. I ask William to get me up there and then I stop and think. Is it not you that wants this race? Do you think it is going to be handed to you? Do you want to race for third place? Still concerned about wasting myself but wanting the win. I jump to bridge since no one is going and soon enough I have a train following. Within two blocks I see that the two up front also do not want to chance wasting energy so I ease up just a touch and then the gracious gentlemen behind me come around and take over the chase and I fade back again into the draft.

As we come to the bell lap I am amazed how fast the forty minutes went by and how everyone is just jockeying for position. I place myself on the inside as I have been picking up three spots on turn 3 and 5 all day. But where do I find myself up at the front going into the wind on the backstretch. With two blocks to go on the backstretch, I ease up from the front and as I do Morrissey comes around me. I get right on his wheel but we start to get pinched into turn 7 and then something starts with his shifting. Click Click Click and not the good kind. We make in through the turn but I need to get around him. So I stand and go on the inside of Morrissey and as I accelerate up the small rise to get back to the pack of swarming sprinters there is a calmness that settles over me. Now don’t get me wrong here, the adrenaline was pumping and increasing as I knew I had to make a move and get up there for some to lead me out. But as I was moving up, quicker then expected, I notice the jockeying was still going on. I am going to hit turn 8 just behind the sprinters and they are going wide and I mean wide. Don’t they know that it is only 300 meters from the finish, that the wind is at our backs, that it is a slight down hill, that it was the State championships. All this thought in a split second, along with the thought of all the hours training, and thinking about this race and my goals all came to a boil in my little pressure cooker I like to call my head. This is that point in the race that everyone talks about. That decisive moment. And that is why I felt calm now. The door was open. I knew what I had to do.

I already had the increased speed coming into the turn. I jumped to get rid of anyone on my wheel, cut the turn hard and as the front of pack went wide trying to get on each others wheel, I gave everything I had. And I watched that group three lanes over fade away. I spun those pedals and spun and spun and spun. And thanks to Newt on that side yelling SHIFT!!!. I gave it a gear or two, but my legs were going so fast I never bogged down. Thanks Newt for that and all the other advice you have given me. Also thanks Randy for all you teach us. Could it be really coming true? I counted down, the garbage can 250 meters, the cross walk 200, the driveway 150 and then I had to look. And it looked good!! Power Bar Ben was gaining, but I had him with a 100 to go and just to make sure I kept spinning. And then the throw. I did it. I got the jersey. A rush came over me and I screamed. I was there. A place I knew I wanted to be a year ago.

I want to thank everyone on xXx Racing / AthletiCo for all the motivation, advice, encouragement, coaching, and work done to help me out. I try to take everything in, and only hope I can pay it forward twofold. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be on this team. And what a great team it is. Thanks for bringing me here.